The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-04-27
oLD-TIME CORN SHUcKING.
Scenes I'm Georgia in Slavery Days Before
the War of the Rebellion.
ATLANTA constitutional

Atlanta constitutional
Day after day for whole week the load
ed wagons had been driven to the lot, each
depositlng its load on the seml-circular
pile, that had grown higher and higher,
until Charley Green, the driver, himself
could not see over the top of it. Then
came the night of nights, the corn
shocking.
The hands on the plantations, far and
near, had assembled to join in the work,
that was more than half frolic. Blowing
merry tunes on their quilts, stopping every
now and then for "pat and dance" in the
sandy road. they came singly, in
pairs and in crowds, singing snatches
of wild plantation melodies, or
of theirs which was like the rich tones of
a bugle sounding far away. Rapidly the
crowd gathered the dusky light of an DC.
tober evening had settled down into a per-
feet night, night with never a heck of
cloud to obscure the light of the faintest
star, and no coQuettlsh moon to dim the
luster of rival planets. Across the fields
hung shreds Of silvery mist, and FAR away
beyond the gently undulating surface OF
the cotton fields rose, gaunt and grim, the
dark line OF swamp that lay along the
river. Ten thousand dewdrops sparkled
on the grass so that the face of the earth
seemed but dim reflection OF the arch of
the glowing heavens.
"Who gwine to be de leaderY'
''Chally; let Chally be de leader" cried
a chorous of voices; and Charley, mount
ing the sloping semi-circle of corn and seiz-
ing large ear for his baton. would begin
o, dey's one ting 'er po' man
Seldom evan do,
FToW out de ole con
To put in de new.
All roun' de con pile,
Hoe Jolly ho
All rOun de con pile,
Hoe jolly no.
This was the signal for beginning, and
the dusky forms seated themselves, knelt
in convenient attitude, and the cleaning
ears flew thick and fast through the air:
o. big Joe, lit tie Joe. you bettah go;
Jennie bake 'er hoecake slow, too slow.
All roun' de co n pile,
Hoe Jolly hOi
AL 'roun' de con pile,
Hoe Jolly no.
And the entire crowd joined in the re.
fran that, bursting out upon the cool
night air, was waited on the winds and
echoes and re.echoed from the river swamp
to the pine-covered ridge. The rustling OF
the husks and the spirited patter of the
clean ears as they fell in the open space in
| front was like the soft tripping OF fairy
| feet as an accompaniment to the merry
music, up and down the levelled walk,
L
BY and by there was short cessation,
and an old brown Jug was passed from
mouth to mouth around the circle. II
contained the fiery spirit of the corn, and
as each lusty laborer gulped his dram he
| smacked his lips, and with "Pank' ee
{ boss" resumed his labors. Then the drum
major struck up new tune:
From Sat'd'y night twell Sunday
| De gals is in my min.
But er Monday mo min light am seen,
De wite man got me sgwine.
o. git erlong down de road,
o. git erlong down de road,
| Come, git erlong down de road,
My love,
Come git erlong down de read.
While lives IN de country
My gal lives in de town;
Sometimes have notion. love,
| To jump in de river an drown
o. git erlong down de road,
o. git erlong down de road,
Come, git erlOng down dc road
My love,
| Come, git erlong down de road
Higher and higher mounted the stars
and brighter glowed the frosted silve
band of the milky way, as 1T hung sus
pended midway the blue black vault Q
the Ter away heavens. And still the WORK
if one might class it as work, went on
Charley changed his song, and, after
had sung each stanza, with the aid OF
few voices the crowd would join IN IN
refrain, and it sounded as If one voice, 8
true was the harmony and natural unison
Jaybird died wild the whoopin cough,
Sparrer died wild de collie:
Long come er frog wild q fiddle on s back
'Qiring de way 20 de frolic.
Then came the refrain;